novelnext Chapter 358: This Is Our Fiery Combination Attack!
Chapter 358: This Is Our Fiery Combination Attack!
In the spacious hall of the manor, Bai Shi and the Lord of Frenzied Flame faced each other from a distance.
Since igniting the Frenzied Flame, the corpse had held its greatsword high, lifting it toward the sky.
It remained motionless, spreading the power of the Frenzied Flame as if without consciousness.
Although Bai Shi didn’t know what the creature was doing, he had no intention of letting it continue.
Bai Shi shot Melina a look, signaling her to move Irena and Lilianna.
Melina understood at once. She turned, grabbed Irena and Lilianna, and quickly left the battlefield.
The Lord of Frenzied Flame's power was extraordinary; even watching from the sidelines was incredibly risky.
Furthermore, Middla's long-accumulated despair had been fully ignited, pushing the power of the Frenzied Flame to its peak.
The Lord of Frenzied Flame now was on an entirely different level from what it had been in Middla's time.
Though still within the bounds of his predecessors, his power had surged dramatically, making him arguably the strongest Lord of Frenzied Flame aside from a Tarnished who had chosen that very ending.
Dealing with the residual Frenzied Flame could wait until after he had taken care of his opponent.
Once everyone was a safe distance away, Bai Shi could finally act without reservation.
Bai Shi turned sideways, raising the Sword of Night and Flame level with his eyes. The tip pointed directly at the Lord of Frenzied Flame as power began to build.
Holding the stance, sparks of fire began to ignite all over Bai Shi's body.
The embers burned, raising Bai Shi's power to another level.
Bai Shi took a deep breath and made the first move.
Gripping the Sword of Night and Flame, he shattered the floor with a single step and charged straight for the Lord of Frenzied Flame.
Accelerated by a storm's gale, Bai Shi became a living, deadly arrow aimed at the withered figure.
Without this vessel, the Frenzied Flame, no matter how strong, could not burn from nothing.
Faced with Bai Shi's overwhelming charge, the Lord of Frenzied Flame finally stirred.
The sun of Frenzied Flame above its head blazed fiercely, instantly expanding several times in size.
A dense torrent of Frenzied Flame erupted from the sun, surging toward Bai Shi like a sky-blotting wave.
Bai Shi did not evade. Instead, he accelerated even further, hurtling toward the Lord of Frenzied Flame.
There was a reason, of course, for his fearlessness in the face of the Frenzied Flame.
Seeing the immense power of the approaching flames, Ashmi instantly materialized beside Bai Shi, wielding a crystal staff in one hand.
With a wave of her staff, a dense, pitch-black shadow formed in the air above the hall.
Magic poured into it, and a deep, dark space unfolded, swallowing all light.
This was Eternal Darkness, a lost sorcery of the Eternal City.
The flames bursting from the Frenzied Flame sun were drawn into the dark void, clearing a safe path for Bai Shi.
But this safety was only momentary.
The power that could melt all things was simply too terrifying.
And when wielded by the Lord of Frenzied Flame, it was even more astounding.
In a mere instant, the bottomless void of Eternal Darkness was completely surrounded by Frenzied Flame. Its pull couldn't keep up with the eruption of fire.
Even the edges of the dark void soon began to warp and melt under the heat, on the verge of collapsing.
But with Ashmi maintaining it, there had been more than enough time.
In that moment, Bai Shi closed the distance and thrust his sword forward with blistering speed.
The Lord of Frenzied Flame was caught completely off guard by Bai Shi and Ashmi's surprise coordination.
The Frenzied Flame that should have blocked Bai Shi's advance had been nullified, leaving its master with no room to maneuver.
The Lord of Frenzied Flame could only swing the broken golden barbs in its left hand like a dagger to parry the Sword of Night and Flame.
But how could such a hasty defense stand against Bai Shi's long-prepared strike?
And how could those tiny barbs ever hope to match a god-slaying weapon?
The golden barbs met the Sword of Night and Flame and shattered into pieces in less than an instant, scattering into the air.
Bai Shi's blade, almost entirely unaffected, plunged straight into the Lord of Frenzied Flame's torso.
Bai Shi sank his stance and twisted his waist, unleashing the full, ferocious force of his power upon his enemy.
His sword pierced through the Lord's abdomen and, with unstoppable might, swept viciously upward.
With unparalleled strength and a god-slaying blade in hand, was there anything in this world that could stop Bai Shi?!
Damn it, was there anything in this world that *could* stop him?!
As long as the Sword of Night and Flame, with its power to warp space and time, could reach the core of that frenzied sun, it would surely, easily, be able to tear it apart!
The Lord of Frenzied Flame's withered body offered no resistance, as helpless as butter before a hot knife.
With a flash of his sword, its gaunt upper body was instantly split down the middle, the two halves falling to either side.
Yet, just as Bai Shi's blade was about to continue its path and cleave the frenzied sun in two, the Lord's counterattack finally came.
The sun of Frenzied Flame above its head suddenly flared violently.
Unlike the ordinary flames, the power from its core spread through space like ripples on water.
The chaotic, core energy of the Frenzied Flame endlessly expanded, scorching everything in its path.
And Bai Shi, standing right before it, was about to face the full brunt of the impact.
Before the blast of frenzied fire even reached him, Bai Shi felt a wave of chaos wash over him from the incandescent light.
Maddening images and noise flooded his vision and hearing. Even with his iron will, he was profoundly affected.
Seeing this, Bai Shi knew this was bad.
The madness meter had shot up so much before he was even hit.
If he were burned by this ultimate Frenzied Flame, he would likely be instantly and severely wounded.
Bai Shi had no choice but to immediately withdraw the Sword of Night and Flame and retreat to a safe distance.
The Lord of Frenzied Flame's body gradually drew back together, the fire burning intensely over the wound.
The gash sealed shut, instantly cauterized by the flame, and congealed like adipocere.
It left only a horrifying, scorched scar across its torso, where embers of Frenzied Flame still crawled and flared.
After realizing the extent of Bai Shi's power, the Lord of Frenzied Flame finally gathered its chaotic will and focused entirely on the battle.
It raised its Greatsword of Judgment and lunged at Bai Shi in a flash, a thrust meant to repay the earlier attack.
Seeing that it intended to fight him physically, a smirk crept onto Bai Shi’s lips.
At the same time, a brilliant golden light shone from Ashmi's hands as she cast one incantation after another.
Facing a Frenzied Flame that could melt souls, Ashmi had switched to a support role to coordinate with the offense.
Golden Vow, Blessing of the Erdtree, Lansseax's Glaive...
The effects of various incantations washed over Bai Shi, making him shimmer with multicolored light and strengthening him in every way.
As the final incantation took effect, the two blades had already crossed space, clashing with a piercing shriek.
The next moment, however, the Lord of Frenzied Flame's body was sent flying like a bundle of rags.
Though they were on the same level of power, trying to match Bai Shi's physicality in his current state was rather unwise.
Before it could hit the wall, Bai Shi was already upon it, piercing through its body and pinning it to his sword.
The blazing flames of the sun erupted from the blade, incinerating the Lord of Frenzied Flame's body from the inside out.
Even impaled on the sword, the Lord still swung its Greatsword of Judgment at the one holding the hilt.
But Bai Shi gave it no chance to strike back, flinging it toward Ashmi's position before the blow could land.
At that exact moment, Ashmi extended her hands. Aeperia floated before her, spinning rapidly.
A massive vortex had formed from the unleashed power, with the forces of Bountifulness and Rot constantly churning within it.
And it was into this vortex that Bai Shi had thrown the Lord of Frenzied Flame.
The powers of Bountifulness and Rot merged into an ever-shifting maelstrom, slowly devouring the Lord's figure.
This was their fiery combination attack!
With minds perfectly in sync and their powers cast from the very same mold, the two had completely suppressed the Lord of Frenzied Flame.
Up to this point in the battle, facing the tag-team assault of Bai Shi and Ashmi, the Lord of Frenzied Flame had yet to mount a single decent counterattack.
However, the pair knew that the Lord would not be so easily defeated, so they did not let their guard down.
Sure enough, a withered arm thrust the Greatsword of Judgment out of the vortex, stabbing fiercely at Aeperia.
Under the repeated blows from the Greatsword, Aeperia's rotation was inevitably disrupted.
At the same time, within the churning vortex, the Frenzied Flame blazed forth, gradually dissolving the maelstrom from within.
But what truly broke the vortex was an endless number of fine, golden barbs.
Illusions of these barbs appeared from nowhere, obstructing the flow of the two powers and bringing the vortex to a complete standstill.
The Lord of Frenzied Flame's body emerged from the dissipating vortex, hovering silently in the air.
By now, the Lord of Frenzied Flame looked far more wretched.
Not only had its body been worn down by the relentless attacks, losing over forty percent of its mass, but its flesh was also covered in Scarlet Rot, its life force plundered by Bountifulness.
Even the once-imperious sun of Frenzied Flame above its head had begun to dim.
The Frenzied Flame spread, its chaotic, warped heat repairing the Lord's tattered body. Yet, despite being heavily wounded, its aura grew even more potent.
This bizarre phenomenon gave Bai Shi and Ashmi a feeling of deep unease.
Unlike any other enemy they had faced, the Lord of Frenzied Flame showed no emotion.
There was no humiliation from its brutal thrashing, no surging battle lust...
There was nothing. It was simply the tranquil, burning embodiment of chaos and despair itself.
The Lord of Frenzied Flame floated in the air, and the sun above its head swelled violently once more, growing several times larger.
Then, countless bolts of Frenzied Flame burst from the sun, shooting toward the pair with terrifying speed.
This dense barrage of The Flame of Frenzy was not only incredibly fast but also possessed power far beyond ordinary measure.
Yet, the ferocious surprise attack failed to land.
In front of Bai Shi and Ashmi, two greenish-blue force fields materialized.
The moment the bolts of flame touched Thops's Barrier, they were deflected, veering off course to punch dozens of large holes in the already ruined manor walls.
Bai Shi didn't hesitate. The instant the barrage ended, he was upon the Lord of Frenzied Flame once again, unleashing a flurry of deadly strikes.
Ashmi remained at a distance, alternating between barrages of storm, gravity, and magic against their foe.
The Lord of Frenzied Flame remained silent, simply swinging its sword.
From time to time, it would unleash a burst of Frenzied Flame at point-blank range.
——
After taking Irena and Lilianna to safety, Melina had returned to the battlefield.
Seeing that Bai Shi and Ashmi had already wounded the Lord of Frenzied Flame to such a degree, a look of surprise crossed her face.
After a moment's thought, however, it didn't seem so unexpected.
As the first person to experience Bai Shi's power after he became king, Melina was well aware of his current strength.
After reaching the next tier of power, Bai Shi’s strength and resilience were simply astounding.
And Ashmi, who perfectly mirrored Bai Shi's power, was a secret weapon that had given the Lord of Frenzied Flame a nasty surprise.
Such a result was only to be expected.
Having figured it out, Melina didn't dare relax just because they had the upper hand.
Melina gripped her Blade of Calling and unleashed the power of gold.
The phantom of a lush, flourishing Erdtree appeared behind the three of them, showering them with its warm light.
After she had fully grasped the concept of 'love', the fledgling Erdtree that had been steadily growing within her had finally reached maturity.
Not only that, but a golden sigil appeared beneath her feet, enveloping all three of them.
This was an incantation of the Erdtree Faith, the highest-tier prayer, 'Erdtree's Protection'.
It enveloped all nearby allies, increasing their damage negation for all types except physical.
In the continuous clashes with the Lord of Frenzied Flame, Bai Shi had been struck several times.
But now, with all these buffs, the injuries became insignificant.
Feeling the two new effects applied to his body, Bai Shi’s spirits soared.
The Erdtree's healing effect was incredibly potent, far beyond the Blessing of the Erdtree that Ashmi had cast earlier.
Now, the two continuous healing effects were stacked, becoming even more formidable.
And after his vitality had broken through its limits, Bai Shi already possessed an inhumanly fast healing factor.
One could say Bai Shi's current regenerative ability was completely over-the-top, almost approaching the effect of his former infinite health.
With this even more stable support, Bai Shi opted for a more aggressive offense.
A strike aimed at the frenzied sun was dodged, and the Greatsword of Judgment was thrust back into Bai Shi’s body.
Within his abdominal cavity, the bundled Greatsword of Judgment suddenly sprang open, its golden barbs piercing through his torso and sending a fountain of blood into the air.
Not only that, but Frenzied Flame erupted from the Greatsword, searing Bai Shi's body.
Yet Bai Shi lunged forward, his own blade erupting with the fire of the sun as he struck again at the frenzied sun.
Countless flames shot out from the frenzied sun, and then, for the first time, it actually controlled its body to retreat.
Faced with utter annihilation and death, even the chaotic Frenzied Flame knew to pursue advantage and avoid harm.
By the time the Lord of Frenzied Flame yanked out its Greatsword, Bai Shi’s torso had been torn apart by the golden barbs.
But the power of life surged within him, and in just a moment, the ghastly wound had completely healed.
After extinguishing the Frenzied Flame within him, the glintstone on Bai Shi's Sword of Night and Flame lit up, and the sigil of the Carian Royal Family appeared.
Bai Shi was enveloped in a blue light, and the encroaching madness began to recede.
Lucidity, a Carian royal sorcery.
It could alleviate madness, and Bai Shi had already used it countless times during the battle.
Realizing his recovery rate was even greater than he had imagined, Bai Shi chose to set himself completely ablaze.
The embers burned with unprecedented intensity, erupting into true flames.
Bai Shi’s entire body was shrouded in fire.
His terrifying regenerative speed seemed almost powerless against this even fiercer burning, only managing to barely keep pace.
By turning his own body into fuel, the power he gained was astonishing.
The Lord of Frenzied Flame was now utterly suppressed, with almost no room to fight back.
Facing the tidal wave of sword light, the Lord retreated again and again but was unable to break free.
Seeing that he had pushed his enemy to the brink, Bai Shi's focus sharpened even further.
He had relentlessly pressured the Lord of Frenzied Flame from the very beginning, never giving it a single opening. He certainly wasn't going to give it one now.
Against an ordinary foe, Bai Shi might have been curious to see their trump card.
But facing the bizarre Frenzied Flame, he had no such desire.
The thrill of battle could wait. This time, his goal was to ensure his opponent never even got the chance to reveal its trump card!
The Lord of Frenzied Flame was not a living being but the will of the flame itself; therefore, it would not make a mistake under pressure.
But with its mangled body, even without an opening, Bai Shi could crush it head-on.
Bai Shi saw his chance. Disregarding injury to his left hand, he forcefully clamped down on the Greatsword of Judgment.
His right hand, wielding the Sword of Night and Flame, blazed with the sun's scorching fire and thrust straight for the frenzied sun.
But this fatal blow, the one that should have decided the victor, failed.
Staring down Bai Shi's decisive strike, the Lord of Frenzied Flame's body did not waver.
Several Flame-Contaminated Oracles emerged from the smoldering embers, blocking the space between Bai Shi and their master.
On their staves, the chaotic, core power of the Frenzied Flame was gathering.
Bai Shi was shocked. He instantly changed his thrust to a horizontal sweep, mowing down all the oracles like weeds.
But after that slash, Bai Shi was filled with immense regret.
In countless past battles, Bai Shi had found the optimal solution without needing to rely on Fengling Yueying, saving many uses.
But in this situation, that subconscious, optimal move was a mistake!
He hadn't used Fengling Yueying for so long that it was no longer a habit, and in that split second, he hadn't even thought of it.
Bai Shi had made an 'error,' misjudging the situation.
He should have just activated his invincibility, tanked the oracles' flames, and finished off the Lord of Frenzied Flame.
And the Lord, who should have been dead, was now free from his grasp, granted a single moment to breathe.
This was the Lord of Frenzied Flame's hidden gambit, laid long ago.
Humans make mistakes, but the Lord of Frenzied Flame does not.
It was not a living being but the will of the flame itself; therefore, it would never make a mistake under pressure!
The instant it was free, the Lord of Frenzied Flame shot through the dilapidated roof.
Ashmi and Melina immediately launched their attacks, trying to continue the suppression.
Unfortunately, they were a bit too far away. He took the brunt of their assault and managed to reach the open sky.
The Lord of Frenzied Flame floated between the giant trees of the valley, spreading its arms just as it had at the beginning.
The sun of Frenzied Flame rose high.
At some point, the scorched scars of Frenzied Flame at the bottom of the valley had rekindled.
Stepping outside, the group finally understood what its initial action had been for.
From the very start, hidden within the ambient air, the Frenzied Flame had already been spreading.
All the scattered power of the Frenzied Flame in the valley was drawn back, pouring into its sun.
The grievously wounded, incredibly dim sun of Frenzied Flame returned to its former brilliance.
Then, an even more ferocious tide of flame burst forth, dyeing the entire valley with madness.
The valley floor was completely consumed by the Frenzied Flame, transformed into a hellscape.
And the power gained from incinerating all that matter continuously strengthened the Lord of Frenzied Flame.
Amidst the spreading conflagration, the Lord, holding its Greatsword of Judgment, turned its 'head' and looked down upon Bai Shi and the others.